1 Samuel 5:1, 1 Samuel 5:2 NIV

Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:1

CONTENTS This chapter relates to us the history of the ark of God while in captivity. The Philistines for a short space rejoice over their spoil. But this joy is turned into sorrow. God visits the Philistines with plagues, till at length they are constrained to call a council in order to deliver them from what at the first they considered a great triumph. read more

Robert Hawker

Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:1-2

(1) ¶ And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod. (2) When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. What the Philistines design was in bringing the ark into the house of their idolatrous God, is not so easy to determine. Whether it might be to give honor to Dagon, as they did in the case of their conquering Samson, or whether it might be that they intended to unite the ark of God with Dagon as the... read more

George Haydock

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:1

Azotus, one of the principal cities of the Philistines. It is astonishing that God permits these infidels to touch the ark, He who resented the conduct of Oza, and of the Bethsamites, with such severity. But the law regarded the Israelites, and the pagans were ignorant of it. (Calmet) --- The servant, who knows his master will, and does not obey, shall suffer many stripes; [Luke xii. 47.] and those who have the happiness of professing the true religion, and dishonour it by their immorality,... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 5:1-5

1-5 See the ark's triumph over Dagon. Thus the kingdom of Satan will certainly fall before the kingdom of Christ, error before truth, profaneness before godliness, and corruption before grace in the hearts of the faithful. When the interests of religion seem to be ready to sink, even then we may be confident that the day of their triumph will come. When Christ, the true Ark of the covenant, really enters the heart of fallen man, which is indeed Satan's temple, all idols will fall, every... read more

Paul E. Kretzmann

The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann - 1 Samuel 5:1-7

The Ark in Ashdod. v. l And the philistines took the ark of God, which they had captured in the great battle, and brought it from Ebenezer, as the place was afterward called, unto Ashdod, a city of Philistia almost due west of the battlefield, on the Mediterranean, apparently the leading city in the federation of city-states among the Philistines. v. 2. When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, their chief idol, to whose honor they had erected... read more

Johann Peter Lange

Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Critical, Doctrinal and Homiletical - 1 Samuel 5:1-12

III. The Ark and the Philistines. 1 Samuel 5:1 to 1 Samuel 7:11. The Chastisement of the Philistines for the Removal of the Ark1 Samuel 5:1-121And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto 2Ashdod. When [And] the Philistines took the ark of God,1they [and] brought 3it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. And when [om. when] they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow,2 [ins. and] behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord... read more

Frederick Brotherton Meyer

F.B. Meyer's 'Through the Bible' Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:1-12

the Captured Ark Brings Trouble 1 Samuel 5:1-12 Dagon’s fall before the Ark of God has a sublime significance. In the evening, as the priests left the temple, the hideous image stood erect on its pedestal; in the morning, it was found prostrate before the sacred symbol. A repetition of the incident proved that it was no coincidence. So shall it be with all the idols of the heathen. They shall be utterly abolished, and the demons of whom they are the grotesque representations, together with... read more

G. Campbell Morgan

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible - 1 Samuel 5:1-12

This is a story of supreme and arresting interest, showing as it does how, when the people of God fail to bear testimony for Him among the nations, He becomes His own witness. The Ark was not a charm equal to delivering disobedient Israel. It was, however, the center and symbol of their life, and Jehovah would not permit Philistia to trifle with it. If men hold their peace stones will cry out; and if the chosen people are unfaithful to God, then the very Ark, which is the symbol of His... read more

Robert Neighbour

Wells of Living Water Commentary - 1 Samuel 5:1-12

The Ark in the Land of the Philistines 1 Samuel 5:1-12 ; 1 Samuel 6:1-11 INTRODUCTORY WORDS There are several things we think should be emphasized. 1. Ebenezer means "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." What! Was the Ark of God taken from the place "where the Lord helped us," to the place of utter and ignominious defeat? Even so. It is written that He could do no mighty works in Nazareth because of their unbelief. Why was Christ helpless to demonstrate His power and His glory in the city... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 5:1-5

Strange Happenings In The House Of Dagon (1 Samuel 5:1-5 ). 1 Samuel 5:1 ‘ Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God, and they brought it from Eben-ezer to Ashdod.’ As already described in the previous chapter, the Philistines had ‘taken the Ark of YHWH’. They were no doubt delighted. Here indeed was a trophy that revealed the power of their gods. The gods of Israel had clearly been unable to do anything against them, and they intended to put the Ark on triumphal show in all their Temples... read more